Tigers Hope ALCS Appearance Only The Beginning

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DETROIT (AP) – Moments after the Detroit Tigers were eliminated from the AL championship series, Alex Avila was already looking forward to the future.

The Detroit catcher figures his team will have every opportunity to return to the postseason next year. The Tigers won the AL Central by 15 games this season and have a nucleus that includes Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera and a number of other veterans who are expected back in 2012.

Detroit beat the New York Yankees in the division series before falling to Texas in the ALCS, unable to contain the Rangers in a 15-5 loss in the clinching Game 6 on Saturday night.